Take a Shot
by SafirelV
Summary: An encounter with a rambunctious cowboy and his unconventional sister puts Dick and Wally right in the middle of an expedition to find the outlaws known as The Trigger Twins before it's too late for any of them. AU, *Two-shot*
1. Chapter 1

**Take a Shot: Pt. I**

Dick stared out the back of the wagon as it drove over the bumpy terrain. Their wagon train had left Missouri only a couple of weeks ago, when his father had told him to pack up his belongings and load them into the wagon- they were going to California.

As the sun beat down from high above the sky onto the cloth tops of the wagons moving slowly across the open country, Dick looked out around him and looked at the people walking beside the wagons. He was lucky that his family only consisted of two people, so they didn't need as many supplies, and he could fit inside the wagon under the shade.

The wagon directly behind him had a family of three, and the parents sat at the front on the carved out wooden bench while their redheaded son walked next to the transportation machine, eyeing the two oxen pulling it as if he dared to leap onto the back of one of them and rest there for a while.

He was dressed in blue denim jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows. A few of the top buttons of the shirt were unbuttoned as well. He had a tan Stetson hat on his head that must've belonged to his dad since it was a little too big for him. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm and noticed Dick staring at him. He waved lethargically.

"Hey," he said, "You're right lucky to be sittin' up there in the shade."

Dick didn't reply; he merely waved back.

"Where're you from?" the redhead continued.

"Mississippi. You?"

"Tennessee."

A horse whinnied and Dick tried to peek around the side of his wagon, but he couldn't see much. All he saw was the countryside stretching far, far out. He wiped the sweat off his hands onto his jeans and looked back at the curious redheaded boy. The redhead's green eyes stared back at him.

"You okay down there? Your skin's turning the color of your hair," Dick remarked, noticing the sunburn he was suffering.

"Nah, I'll be okay. I heard the wagonmaster say we're gonna stop out yonder by the river before we cross. It's getting late. We're probably gonna stop for the night soon. Hey, what's your name?"

"Dick."

"That all?"

"You want the full version? Richard John Grayson. What's yours?"

"Wallace Rudolph West. You can call me Wally. Why're you traveling west? You going there to settle?"

Dick wasn't sure. He supposed that if they were going there for the gold, then they would probably live there, near the mines. But he knew how quickly gold dried up, and soon the towns would dry up too. They would live there for a year or so. And then they would move again.

"We're going to the mines," he finally replied, dodging the question.

Wally nodded, not seeming to have noticed, or maybe he was just ignoring it, "We're just moving out west. I reckon we'll see some Indians out here."

Dick was startled by the sudden change of topic, but he took advantage of it, "You think they'll take our horses?"

"_Your _horses. We only have the oxen over there and even they were fifty bucks for the both of 'em. But my dad says you can't find finer animals for this kind of thing."

The wagons started to slow down and Dick hopped off from the back of the wagon into the hot summer sun, away from the protection of the shade. He did feel a noticeable change in temperature. He looked out to see if he could spot the river. A wide stretch of blue stood out from the prairie lands around the otherwise empty space.

"I'm mighty glad we left when we did. We'll be traveling the deserts in the winter," Wally remarked, walking up to Dick, "My feet are pretty darn sore."

"Well I'm not gonna rub them for you if that's what you want," Dick said, kicking the dirt with his leather cowboy boot.

He moved around to the front of the wagon where the two horses were situated with his dad holding the reins. "Son, could you set up camp while I feed the horses?" he asked. Dick nodded and went back to the back of the wagon and pulled out the tent to set up somewhere next to the wagon.

"We got a tent too. Hey, would ya'll mind if I set up next to you?" Wally asked Dick, taking off his hat and holding it to his chest. Dick shook his head and picked up a hammer to start securing the tent to the ground. Wally smiled, "You don't talk much, do you?" Before Dick could answer, Wally scurried off to set up his family's tent.

* * *

They'd been on the trail for around a month when another family with older kids joined the trail. Three of them had hair as blonde as the golden plains of wheat that they'd passed on the trail, made even more blonde by exposure to the sun. The other kid had bright red hair, like the center of a flame to offset the family and their blonde hair. His name was Roy and he was born and raised on a farm in Kansas. His accent was heavy, his shot never missed, and he was undeniably a cowboy. He had the hat, the shoes, the jacket, the horse, and the piece of hay in his mouth to prove it. When Dick and Wally caught him having spitting contests with the other cowboys, he'd always win.

His dad, Ollie, was no different, and his mom was an All-American cowgirl. His sister had her hair in braids and rumor had it that she kept a pistol underneath her skirt. No one was going to check to see if it was myth or fact.

At first, Dick and Wally, who were now best trail buddies, merely observed the hot-headed, rambunctious cowboy, but after a while they got the guts to go up and talk to him.

His answer? "Don't think I ain't been seeing you staring at my sister the way you do. Tell ya what, I won't get in your way if ya'll come hunting with me. Get your rifles and meet me out yonder off the trail. The game is scared off by them wagons."

And so the two boys ran back to their wagons where they picked up their rifles to meet Roy for some hunting. Dick barely got a squirrel; Wally caught one rabbit. Roy finished with a bird and a deer. They decided to share with the other fourteen families on the trail, but only six of them actually accepted the meal.

"Can I join you?" Roy's blond haired sister asked as the three boys feasted in front of a raging fire. Roy nodded and she seated herself down and looked up at the night sky. The smoke traveled in a gray haze up, up, and up until it seemingly vanished into the air.

"Where are ya'll headed out to?" Wally asked, looking at Roy and his sister from across the fire.

"We're settlin' west," the girl answered.

"What's your name?"

"Artemis."

"That's a fine name," Wally complimented. She smiled and shook her head, "I ain't interested in boys who can't ride horses."

It seemed like a strange comment to Wally, but he realized she was serious and blushed. Dick nudged him, and whispered, "I'll let you practice riding on one of my horses tomorrow if you want. Just don't fall off."

* * *

The Trigger Twins. Their faces were plastered over multiple small towns around the west. They were famous. No, they weren't famous. They were _infamous_. They robbed, killed, plundered- all without a hint of remorse.

The wagon train went through a small town that had been settled along the route to move west, and the wagonmaster decided that it was time for a break there. That was the first time Wally had seen a wanted poster for The Trigger Twins, it wasn't the first time he'd heard of them though. Dick had told him all about the notorious outlaws from Missouri, and Roy had his own contributions to share. Apparently they had plundered a store in the town, killing the owner and taking whatever gold and supplies they'd found in there. The general store was still closed, and the travelers couldn't stock up on supplies again.

They couldn't keep moving without supplies or they wouldn't last the rest of the trip. So the wagon master spreads the word that they're staying at the town for the night to figure out what to do.

* * *

"They're missing! It was the Trigger Twins! I saw them! They came down in the night and took the wagon master and his daughter Megan!" a woman who had been traveling the trail with the group ran around screaming. It woke up most of the group, who demanded answers to their questions from the local sheriff.

"I'm mighty sorry but I didn't see anything," he tried to explain to the crowd. Still, it didn't assuage their fears. If anything, they were even more panicked that they would be taken in the night.

"So let's go after them," Roy said suddenly when he was alone in the company of Dick, Wally, and Artemis. Artemis revealed a slight smile, but the other two boys looked at each other skeptically.

"What? You too yellow-bellied to chase after some hooligans?" Roy taunted.

Dick didn't want to fall for it. He knew Roy was just trying to coerce them into going with him after the outlaws. But Wally was too egotistical to see through it and burst out, "No! I'm not yellow-bellied! I'll go!" Dick raised his palm to his forehead and shook his head. He wasn't going to let his only friends on this journey to run off to their deaths by murderous outlaws. So he reluctantly agreed to travel _out there_ with them. In the middle of winter too.

* * *

**This is for Toadflame's Wild West challenge on the YJ Challenges forum. It's also a two-shot, so look forward for answers in the next chapter!**

**This is also my first attempt at ever writing a western, but I guess that's why it's a challenge!**

**-Love, Safirel**


	2. Chapter 2

**Take a Shot: Pt. II**

It wasn't too cold during the day, but it was freezing during the night. Dick never thought such a hot, dry place could become so frigid (but still dry) within the same twenty-four hour time span.

He pulled the coat he wore around him closer and hung on to his horse. Roy, Artemis, and Wally were already far ahead, but still in sight. Dick had never actually done anything without telling his dad, so this was a little odd for him. He expected that they'd get caught any second and get sent back to town and grounded for life.

That didn't exactly happen, but it was close enough.

The local sheriff had been patrolling around the town that night, and he'd caught the kids sneaking off. He beckoned them near and Roy turned his horse towards the sheriff. The other three followed.

Dick observed that Roy and Artemis didn't look nervous at all. In fact, the only one jittering like a bug was Wally, who couldn't seem to stop shifting on top of the poor horse.

"Shut your bazoo boy," the sheriff ordered as Roy tried to explain, "Tell me why I shouldn't throw you kids in the calaboose now for being out after curfew." Roy blinked, confused why the sheriff just told him to shut up and explain. He could've just skipped the shut up part and save them all a lot of time.

"We were just fixin' to head back to town sir. But my kitten Whiskers ran off and now we can't find him!" Artemis pleaded with the sheriff. He didn't seem to buy into her act, "Hogwash. You kids are in a heap of trouble if you think you can kick up a row here in my town!"

The four of them knew it was no use to talk with the sheriff any longer. As the sheriff turned around to get some ropes to lead the horses and bring the kids to the county jail, Roy shouted, "Shin out!"

And they all turned their horses and forced them into a canter within a matter of seconds. Wally's horse was going the slowest, and Artemis turned around and yelled, "Pony up that crowbait!" Wally glared at her for insulting his horse and flicked the reins, getting it into a full speed gallop ahead of her. She would not be outdone and quickly sped her horse up to a gallop as well.

Behind them, the sheriff let out a warning shot and yelled, "You get back here!" But Roy and Dick knew the sheriff wasn't actually going to shoot a bunch of kids, and so they kept their horses running.

When the town was finally out of sight, they realized they were still in a quagmire. Some Native Americans on horses had surrounded the four of them and had muskets pointed towards their heads. Seeing no escape from the ambush, they were forced to return to camp with the natives.

Still, they didn't get to see much of the native camp since their horses were taken away from them and they were stuck inside where the tribe chief was to meet with them and question them.

He introduced himself as Kaldur'ahm, and demanded to know what they were doing there. Since no one was responding, Dick decided to answer, "We were ambushed and captured." Yet that proved to be an unsatisfactory answer, and so they remained stuck in the room for another thirty minutes before Kaldur'ahm returned, in a good mood this time. He seemed to admire Roy's cowboy hat. No one seemed to notice this except for Artemis, who bargained for their freedom in exchange for Roy's hat. It was a deal, surprisingly enough, and that's when Dick decided that these natives must capture people to see what profit they can get out of it. They couldn't expect much more than a hat from a group of kids though.

And so the four continued their journey to find the wagonmaster's daughter.

* * *

They stumbled upon a shack in the woods where a boy with dark hair was outside chopping wood. It wasn't odd for a boy who lived in the middle of nowhere with his family to chop wood, but Dick didn't understand why he was doing it in the middle of the night. Roy explained that many men worked long hours in the country, and that's when the boy heard them.

He picked up a rifle not far away from him and aimed towards the group. They all jumped out of the bushes shouting, "Don't shoot!" And the boy cautiously put his gun down, asking what they were doing traveling in the middle of the night.

"We're lookin' for some outlaws. You seen any passin' by with a girl with em?" Roy asked. The boy nodded, "They went towards the Ol' Fort yonder down by the stream."

Artemis seemed quite taken with the boy, as she acted more ladylike than she ever did around her brother. She adjusted her own hat (which she didn't give up to the chief of the native American tribe since he only needed one hat, and hers was too small) and asked, "What's your name?"

"Conner."

Then Roy pulled her away and back to the horses. They had a mission that they were going to complete. His sister would _not_ get distracted by a boy.

* * *

When they got to the fort, they stayed hidden in the bushes and peered out at the palisade. Strong timbers were set in the ground to protect the place from infiltration, but they were stealthily circling around the fort to see if there were any places they could sneak in. There weren't. But that didn't mean they couldn't go from the top.

So Roy got a rope ladder out of one of the saddle pockets and swung it around his head, trying to get the loop on the very top to fall onto one of the timbers making up the palisade. He got it on the first time, and tested the ladder, yanking down on it. It seemed to hold.

Artemis climbed up first, then Wally, Dick, and finally, Roy. If this was where The Trigger Twins were hiding out, they'd have to be careful.

There were five different structures in the fort. The largest one was near the back, and Roy decided that must be where The Trigger Twins were hiding. After all, it would be in their narcissistic nature to choose the biggest place to reside.

Now they only needed to find out where Megan was hidden.

Each one of them entered a different cabin to see if she was hidden in any of them. The door Dick tried to open was locked, and the other three announced their cabins were clear. "She's in here then!" Dick announced.

They couldn't manage to open the door, and the twins had woken up to a lot of banging. It happened to be the guys trying to open the door while Artemis had sat to the side, waiting for them to realize nothing was being accomplished. They needed a key.

Roy turned and glared at the twins, "Give us the key or I'll shoot." His hand was on his holster, his jacket moved out of the way to reveal it as a warning. The twins also had their hands on their holsters, ready to draw any second.

Wally and Dick didn't actually have handguns of their own, although it probably would've been a good idea to bring them out with them. It wasn't exactly a safe idea not to.

And when the Trigger Twins realized they outnumbered the group in terms of being armed, they drew their weapons. But only one of them shot, and Roy had dodged the second he saw them take their weapons out. The other one had grabbed his sister.

"Don't touch her!" Roy shouted, angered by this turn of events.

"I'll kill her!" the man shouted back, preparing the squeeze the trigger.

But Artemis had anticipated this, elbowing him in the crotch then pulling two pistols from under her skirt. She pointed one at each twin, and she smiled, knowing she had the upper hand. "Give us the key and I'll give you thirty seconds to run."

The Trigger Twins gave panicked looks to one another before tossing a key on the ground and sprinting off as Artemis counted down. They were running at an unacceptable rate, so Artemis fire a shot to show that her guns actually _were_ loaded and not just decoys. _That_ made them pick up the pace.

Wally and Dick helped Megan out of the cabin and she climbed on the back of Dick's horse since he had the biggest horse out of everyone. Then they headed back for town.

* * *

The wagonmaster resumed the trip the following day, and everyone continued west. Along the way they met a traveling magician and his daughter, Zatara and Zatanna. The two performed a quick magic show for the passerbys, accepting whatever donations they provided.

Roy, Artemis, and their family eventually stopped to settle down in Oregon, while Dick continued to California. Wally and his family decided to stop in Oregon as well, and they studied the plants and animal specimens they collected. Roy started a ranch. Dick's dad made his fortune in the mine, which was a lucky thing since most men never found much gold. The town they'd lived in became a ghost town and they'd moved back east where they found a nice home to live in, and his father remarried.

Dick still kept in touch with Wally since they'd become best friends on the Oregon Trail. They sent letters to one another, but it would take months, sometimes a whole year before replies ever came. Sometimes it was because Kaldur'ahm's tribe intercepted the mail carriers.

**THE END.**

* * *

**I'm mighty thankful to ya'll for readin' this here story! :P**

**Tell me what you thought in a review!**

**Love, Safirel**

**(Before I go...)**

**Rowanfall: Hah, well I think I'm going to leave it as a two-shot for now. I don't want to butcher the western genre! Heehee I think you'll like what I did with Kaldur :)**

**Toadflame: Wow I'm really flattered! I do happen to live in the south so I know a few cowboys :) I never thought I'd ever be using their vocabulary for my writing though! I'm really glad you liked it!**

**Dextra2: Thanks!**


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